It is known from the prior art to make support blocks for quick couplings, known in the field as “manifold”, which are mounted on the machine in order to facilitate the simultaneous connection of a plurality of hydraulic lines.
However, the currently known blocks or manifolds do not allow different types of cartridge couplings to be used.
Similarly, within the same type of cartridges, the currently known blocks do not allow different types of cartridges to be inserted.
It is thus apparent that an intrinsic limitation of the currently known blocks exists, which are not at all versatile, as they are to be wholly replaced and substituted by a different block should different utilities having hydraulic lines associated with different types and/or sizes of cartridges be connected to the machine, precisely by means of the block or manifold.
The term “size” used herein is commonly used in the field to indicate the size of the couplings, and reference to such a size is made in inches, the sizes of the couplings being standardized in the field. They may be half-inch (½″) couplings, i.e. having a diameter of 12.5 mm, three-quarter-inch (¾″), i.e. 20.0 mm, five-eighths-inch (⅝″), i.e. 10.0 mm, for example.
Quick couplings of the cartridge type of the present invention are so called because they need to be integrated in the seat of an outer block supporting them for the functionality thereof. The oil flow occurs in a non-axial manner with respect to the cartridge itself, thus also involving the manifold or block itself, as known from the prior art.